Summer Programs

Check out the SFCASA Summer Camp Guide, which is a list of summer camps available within the Bay Area that we put together. These may be useful resources for youth to partake in to enhance their summer experience. If you know of another great opportunity that is not listed on here, please share them with SFCASA by letting your Case Supervisor know.

HIGHLIGHTED OPPORTUNITIES

Berkeley Repertoire Theaterhas an intensive summer theater camp for high school aged youth, and full scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Butterfly Jointin the Outer Richmond in San Francisco has year-round and summer camps that teach youth woodworking skills. Youth in grades K and up can attend.

Camp Jones Gulch is the YMCA’s overnight camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their BOLD & GOLD Outdoor Leadership Program provides week-long wilderness camps to youth ages 11-17. There is also a TAY camp for youth ages 18-24. Scholarships are available so no one is turned away!

Camp Winnarainbow is a circus and performing arts sleep-away camp in Laytonville, CA. Youth ages 7-17 can attend, and there are scholarships available. The deadline to apply is 3/15.

East Bay SPCA Summer Animal Campin Dublin and Oakland allows youth to interact directly with animals and also do hands-on activities and crafts. The camp runs from June through August and is for youth in grades 1st through 8th. Financial aid is available to those who qualify (financial aid applications are due 4/1).

Girls Leading Girlsruns soccer and leadership programs for girls ages 5-18 years old. The programs are in the East Bay and San Francisco.

The Guardian Scholars program is a 6-week summer program designed to prepare SFUSD foster youth students for a smooth transition from high school to college and career. The program provides high school and/or CCSF (City College of San Francisco) credit, an internship working with kids, a stipend of up to $2,000, and college and career resources. Current or former foster youth who are SFUSD rising juniors, seniors or entering college freshmen are eligible to attend. Applications are due in April. Please contact your case supervisor to learn more.

Lifeguard Camp at the Presidio YMCA and Marin YMCA is a job training camp for teens ages 16-18 to train to become lifeguards. For those teens who need swimming lessons, there is an optional week before the camp. Participating in the camp allows youth to apply for lifeguard jobs at any YMCA location in San Francisco. Please contact Kate Eaneman, Associate Aquatics Director at thePresidio YMCA to learn more: [email protected].

Maven Youth Free LGBTQ+ Summer Program allows youth, ages 14-19, to learn coding skills, write video game narratives, and create digital artwork for one week during the summer. It is also an opportunity to meet LGBTQ+ tech professionals and build community. The camp rotates locations each day as they are hosted by their tech sponsors like Netflix, Pandora, Snapchat, etc.

Oakland YMCA has a number of summer camps available, including a Jedi Master Engineering using LEGOS Camp for 8-10 year olds, a Harry Potter Engineering using LEGOS Camp for grades K-5th.

SOAR is a free,week-long sleep-away summer camp at UC Berkeley specifically for middle school-aged foster youth. The program includes math and writing workshops, outdoor activities like kayaking and ropes courses, life skills trainings, and socializing. Once selected, students return each summer for three consecutive years.